Richland One Students Win Grand Prize, Other Awards at USC Science Fair

A team of engineering students from Keenan High School were big winners at the University of South Carolina’s Central South Carolina Region II Science and Engineering Fair on March 11.

Keenan students Jordan Blyther, Baichard Donald, and Larry Russell won the grand prize in the team project category for their invention of the Telepresence Amusement Park Ride. The mechanism simulates the feel of a hot air balloon ride through the use of a swivel chair, a video camera mounted on a 9-foot pole and a TV monitor attached to the viewer’s head.

As grand prize winners, the Keenan seniors will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta in May. Their invention was sponsored by Richland One’s Challenger Learning Center and developed under the guidance of Keenan engineering teacher Dr. Martin Cwiakala.

Great ideas come in smaller packages too. Crayton Middle School student Catherine T. Watson won first place in the junior division for her study of water quality of the Gills Creek watershed. She took home a $100 cash prize that was sponsored by the Columbia Gem and Mineral Society.

Numerous Richland One students won various other awards at the competition. To view the complete listing of winners, click on this link http://www.hrsm.sc.edu/jordan/SF/2008/sf2008/2008awardsbook.pdf .

USC’s annual science and engineering fair brings together hundreds of students from nine counties who were winners of their local school science fairs. Through competition the project strives to encourage and nurture the next generation of scientists, engineers and teachers.

 

For more information please contact the Richland One Office of Communications at 231-7504 or 231-7510.